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Donin LM. et al (3)

We report on a new species of the genus Ituglanis Costa & Bockmann, 1993 which is the first Trichomycteridae from the Parnaíba River basin. Specimens of the taxon have been collected by one of us (WS) many years ago and their existence has been previously recorded in Ramos, (2012) and Ramos et al., (2014), but they have not been the object of detailed taxonomic analysis. Ituglanis is a species-rich genus of the Trichomycteridae, with 30 valid species (11 of which described in the last ten years) (Fricke et al., 2023). Its taxonomy is increasingly complex and the majority of species are diagnosed by combinations of characters. The new species is noteworthy mostly because of its biogeographic significance. It shows that trichomycterids are actually present in the Parnaíba basin, although their diversity there remains oddly low for a basin of that size and with relationships with the trichomycterid-rich Amazonian ichthyofaunistic (Donin LM. et al 2023). Habitat: Itugalnis crispim is known so far from a single site in the riacho da Volta, right tributary to Parnaíba River, Parnaíba River basin (Donin LM. et al 2023). Aquarium Care: Even although this species is termed, along with other members of this family, as parasitic catfishes it is well behaved in the aquarium but is seldom seen until feeding time. Provide caves/pipes for this species. Etymology. The specific epithet was given in reference to the Crispim, known for the local tragedy-legend “Cabeça de Cuia”. Having murdered his own mother, Crispin was cursed and turned into a horrific aquatic creature with a gigantic “cuia” (bowl-shaped) head, condemned to perpetually wander the Parnaíba River and only to be redeemed after devouring seven virgins named Maria. A noun in apposittion.

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Trichomycteridae

South America: Riacho da Volta, right tributary to Parnaíba River, Parnaíba River basin, Brazil.

3.5cm. (1½ins)

25-28°c (77-83°f.)

6.0-7.0.

Donin LM, Pinna MCC, Severi W, Ramos TPA. Filling in a biogeographic gap: the first Trichomycteridae from the Parnaíba River basin (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae). Neotrop Ichthyol. 2023; 21(2):e230018